Zen Under Fire

A story of love and work in Afghanistan.

Not only is Marianne Elliott a beautiful writer, she’s a courageous truth-teller. Zen Under Fire takes readers on a breathtaking adventure through war-torn Afghanistan and an equally perilous place – the human heart. I can’t stop thinking about the brave stories of peace, justice, and love.Brené Brown, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of Daring Greatly

In 2006 Marianne Elliott, a human rights lawyer from New Zealand, was stationed with the UN in Herat. Several months into her new role a tribal leader is assassinated while she is in charge of the local UN office. She must defuse the situation before it leads to widespread bloodshed.

And this is just the beginning of her story in Afghanistan.

Zen Under Fire is a vivid account of Marianne’s experience living and working in the world’s most notorious battlefield. As well as sharing the incredible details of her UN role, Marianne tells the very personal story of the shattering effect that the high-stress environment had on her and her relationships, and asks what it really means to do good in a country that is under siege from within.

This is an honest, moving and at times terrifying true story of a woman’s time peacekeeping in one of the most dangerous places on earth.